Lyric Lately

A Few “Sound” Spirits

Raise a glass to the most beloved musical of all time! These recipes will help you channel your favorite characters fromThe Sound of Music—and there's even a kid-friendly mocktail so the whole family can get into the spirit.

Raise a glass to the most beloved musical of all time! These recipes will help you channel your favorite characters from The Sound of Music—and there's even a kid-friendly mocktail so the whole family can get into the spirit.

Holy Hot Toddy

Drinking is probably frowned upon at the abbey, but you just know the Mother Abbess likes to spend the occasional evening sipping a nice hot toddy while singing "My Favorite Things."

1 teaspoon honey

1 1/2 ounce bourbon

1/2 cup already-brewed chamomile tea

1 slice Meyer lemon

dash lavender bitters

Add the honey and bourbon to a heat-proof snifter or mug. Top with the tea, squeeze the lemon, and drop it in. Add the lavender bitters and stir until the honey is melted. (Recipe courtesy TheKitchn.com)

Maria's Crisp Apple Strudel Martini

Sometimes it's just too hard to whip up a batch of pastries after a long day of teaching children to sing. But no self-respecting governess is going to let that stop her from enjoying a crisp apple strudel.

1 ounce apple schnapps

1/2 ounce dark crème de cacao liqueur

1/2 ounce white crème de cacao liqueur

1/2 ounce cinnamon schnapps

1ounce pressed apple juice

3/4 ounce heavy cream

Shake the first five ingredients with ice and fine strain into chilled glass. Carefully float the heavy cream by pouring over the back of a spoon. (Recipe courtesy DiffordsGuide.com)

The Captain's Austrian Delight

The first rule of the von Trapp house is discipline…and the second rule is to celebrate Austria in as many ways as possible. Captain von Trapp likes to enjoy the classic Austrian beer Stiegl with some extra ingredients when he's entertaining.

Liesl's First Champagne

Even Captain von Trapp couldn't disapprove of this faux-champagne mocktail that's perfect for all of the von Trapp children.

2 ounces ginger ale, chilled

2 ounces white grape juice, chilled

2 ounces pineapple or orange juice, chilled

Combine ginger ale and juices in a champagne glass. Garnish with frozen grapes and a curly straw. (Recipe courtesy Parenting.com)

"No Way to Stop It" Negroni

Actor Edward Hibbert's favorite cocktail is the negroni. He plays impresario Max Detweiler to the hilt in Lyric's production of The Sound of Music, and this drink is a lot like Max. It's an acquired taste, but you can't hate it—it's much too lovable.

1 part Campari

1 part gin

1 part sweet vermouth

Stir with ice; rim a chilled rocks glass with orange, add ice, and pour the chilled mix. Flame the orange garnish and add to the glass. (Recipe courtesy ColdGlass.com)

Elsa's Broken Heart

Sure, the Captain might have thrown her over for Maria (and because she was a little too willing to compromise her Austrian values). But at least Elsa can nurse her broken heart with this sweet and vibrant concoction.

1 ounce vodka

1 ounce Chambord

2 ounces fresh orange juice

1 splash of grenadine

Fresh strawberry to garnish

Place all of the ingredients, except for the strawberry, into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Vigorously shake the mixture for 35 seconds and then strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish the drink with strawberry and serve immediately. (Recipe courtesy SheKnows.com)

Edelweiss

This cocktail will always be happy to meet you at the end of a day or even during a lazy Saturday afternoon. It's clean and bright, with notes of elderflower and citrus.

1 ounce St. Germain

1/2 ounce Lillet Blanc

1/2 ounce gin

Pour all ingredients over ice in a cocktail glass. Squeeze in two lemon wedges. Fill with soda water, garnish with lemon wedge or peel. (Recipe courtesy Janelle Mead from Pitch.com)

Photo credit:

Scenes from Lyric Opera of Chicago's new production of The Sound of Music (credit Todd Rosenberg / Lyric Opera of Chicago)

Have you heard? THE SOUND OF MUSIC is a hit!

The reviews are in…and they are spectacular! Critics are raving about Lyric's new production of The Sound of Music. Here's a sampling of what they are saying about the fantastic cast, lavish sets, and gorgeous music.

The reviews are in…and they are spectacular! Critics are raving about Lyric's new production of The Sound of Music. Here's a sampling of what they are saying:

"Lyric’s extraordinary production, elegantly directed by Marc Bruni, takes all the great qualities of the show to present a grand scale, stunning production the likes of which we haven’t seen in a long time." - Betty Mohr, Le Bon Travel and Culture

The Sound of Music "make[s] full use of the Civic Opera House's grand stage, from towering tableaus of the abbey to the irresistible moment when all seven of the von Trapp children ride onstage on matching but custom-sized bicycles—talk about commitment to a production aesthetic." - Kris Vire, Time Out Chicago

"Lyric Opera of Chicago's 'The Sound of Music' is every bit the grand production you'd expect from one of the country's leading opera companies." - Barbara Vitello, Daily Herald

The beloved story

"It's remarkable how such a well-known story can still generate chuckles and gasps, even upon the umpteenth viewing" - Elizabeth Diffin, Chicago Parent

"…pert-yet-powerful [Jenn] Gambatese…makes this role her own. She has a broad smile that matches her captivating performance that leaves the heart warmed and the spirited lifted with her every song note." - Phil Potempa, Northwest Indiana Times

"…tying it together, providing that intangible element allowing this 'Music' to really sing, is Gambatese’s brilliant portrayal of Maria." - Barry Reszel, Make It Better

"Billy Zane…has just the right tone for the stern Captain whose militaristic demeanor melts away when he realizes that Maria has brought back music into his life" - Roy Leonard, Chicago Now

Elizabeth Futral "moved with the studied grace of one who is accustomed to having all eyes on her in the room.…This soprano is also a bitingly clever actor, one who knows how to fling a casual aside to the back of the house." - Nancy Malitz, Chicago on the Aisle

Edward Hibbert "is superb as character man/comic relief/realist/impresario Max Detweiler, showing he is a true pro in every sense of the word." - Paul W. Thompson, Broadway World

"…probably the best chorus of Nonnberg nuns the world has ever heard" - Paul W. Thompson, Broadway World

Don't miss it!

"The sound of perfection...best stage show we've had in Chicago in years." - Dean Richards, WGN-TV

"In the Lyric Opera’s capable hands, The Sound of Music has retained its appeal for audiences of all ages. The hills are alive, indeed." - Elizabeth Diffin, Chicago Parent

"…fans of the film and stage show—especially those introducing their children to it—will find it faithful, beautiful, and bigger than they're ever likely to see it again." - Deanna Isaacs, Chicago Reader

"Who knew that the Lyric would do more than just revive the musical but give it the definitive production that the stage show has always deserved." - Michael J. Roberts, Showbiz Chicago

Chorus Master Michael Black preps nuns and kids for THE SOUND OF MUSIC

Lyric's Chorus Master Michael Black has been preparing the chorus of nuns and the von Trapp children (14 total, including main cast and understudies!) for the upcoming production of The Sound of Music—no easy feat! He talks about the power of an opera chorus, his favorite parts of the show, and when he met Joakim Noah during rehearsal.

Lyric's Chorus Master Michael Black has been preparing the chorus of nuns and the von Trapp children (14 total, including main cast and understudies!) for the upcoming production of The Sound of Music—no easy feat!

As Lyric's chorus master since 2013 (after filling in as interim chorus master during the 2011/12 season), Black comes into The Sound of Music with a wealth of experience in the operatic world from his work with Opera Australia. He's a long-time admirer of Rodgers and Hammerstein's beloved musical. "This is my first time working on The Sound of Music, although I must have watched the movie at least a dozen times whilst growing up and am very familiar with the original Broadway cast recording, so it almost feels as though I know it as well as La Traviata or Madama Butterfly!" he says. "There's not a note of it that was unfamiliar to me when it came to preparing the music for this production."

The power of an opera chorus

Black approaches the preparations for this beloved Broadway musical with the same focus and discipline he brings to every mainstage opera. "With The Sound of Music, the chorus music is exclusively the nuns singing and therefore it has to be clean, precise, blended; all things you would expect of an opera chorus," he elaborates. "And the wonderful thing about the musicals here at Lyric is that we always offer 12 places in the chorus of the musical to members of the Regular Chorus who come to audition to be part of the production. So the sound you get is going to be the same wonderful sound you get when you come to hear one of the operas in the season."

Sound of Music's operatic connection

The original Broadway production of The Sound of Music also has a curious operatic connection, one that Black was quick to relay to the chorus for this production. "More experienced Lyric subscribers and opera lovers may remember the wonderful Tatiana Troyanos," he continues. "I love the fact that she began her professional stage career as a nun in the original Broadway production of The Sound of Music In our first ensemble music rehearsal, I spoke about this to the nuns to highlight the fact that the caliber of our work has to be this good."

Becoming a family

In addition to his work with the nuns, he reports that "working with the von Trapp children has been an absolute delight." Black was able to sit in on the audition process, so he met the actors three or four times before they were officially cast and got to know their individual personalities. "As you would expect," he adds, "each one of them is an amazingly talented individual, so to see them take all this individuality and then become an onstage family in a short space of time has been nothing short of miraculous."

An unexpected visitor

One of the highlights of the rehearsal process was in the second week, when Chicago Bulls star center Joakim Noah was in the building for a Sports Illustrated photo shoot. His changing room was next door to where Black and conductor Rob Fisher were just about to start a rehearsal von Trapp children and understudies.

Black quips, "I'm not entirely sure who was more excited meeting Joakim Noah, the kids or myself. I know I was certainly the first person in the rehearsal room to pull out their iPhone to ask to have a picture taken with him! Since moving to Chicago, I've seen three Bulls games and Joakim and Carlos Boozer are my favorites and so when Joakim walked into the room, it was unbelievable."

The children were able to perform "Do Re Mi" for Noah, and the professional athlete was even able to connect their two seemingly different worlds: "He listened to them sing and then spoke to them of the importance of teamwork, having a good coach and then being able to listen to the coach and then performing as a team, all things in common with both sport and opera or stage work."

His favorite things

When asked about his favorite part of the show, Black confesses to being "an old sentimental sucker. I always mist up when Captain von Trapp and Maria realize they're in love and in this production it's a very beautiful moment with Billy and Jenn." Unable to choose just one moment, he also notes that "Christine Brewer will bring the house down with 'Climb Ev'ry Mountain' and I'm getting goose bumps right now thinking about the reprise right at the end of the opera with the entire ensemble singing with her."

Finally, he can't help but put in a bid for the youngest von Trapp: "Little Gretl , as you would expect, steals every scene she's in."

The Buzz is Building for THE SOUND OF MUSIC

Lyric's new production of The Sound of Music opens on April 25, and the excitement around Chicago is reaching a fever pitch. The wonderful cast and crew of the show have been spotted all around town. Check out some highlights of the great media coverage so far.

Lyric's new production of The Sound of Musicopens on April 25, and the excitement around Chicago is reaching a fever pitch. The wonderful cast and crew of the show—Billy Zane, Jenn Gambatese, Christine Brewer, Edward Hibbert, Marc Bruni, and those delightful von Trapp children—have been spotted all around town. Even the Chicago Bulls All-Star Center Joakim Noah is in on the action!